[Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture] Here you can find one of Japan's three great Hase Kannon statues! The Akada Great Buddha, full of blessings

Yurihonjo city, located in the southern part of Akita prefecture on the Sea of ​​Japan side, is home to one of Japan's three great Hase Kannon temples. The three are the Kannon statues at Hasedera Temple in Sakurai city, Nara, Hasedera Temple in Kamakura city, Kanagawa prefecture, and Hasedera Temple in Yurihonjo city, Akita prefecture

　The Hasedera Kannon Temple in Yurihonjo City is known as the Great Buddha of Akada and is widely loved by local people. It takes about 20 minutes by car from National Route 105 towards Akada to reach Hasedera Temple

Its location in the countryside makes first-time visitors feel that it is in a remote place. However, the moment they see the Great Kannon statue at the door of the Great Buddha Hall, they are captivated by its majesty

This time, we will introduce the Great Buddha of Akada at Hasedera Temple in Yurihonjo City

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Hasedera Temple and Priest Koreyama

 Shohozan Hasedera Temple in Yurihonjo City was founded in 1775 (An'ei 4) by Koreyama Taikaku, a monk from the Kameda domain

Koreyama was born as the eldest son of Chozaburo, a farmer in Akada village. His childhood name was Daisuke. Although he was a Zen monk, he is said to have retreated to the mountains to practice asceticism, much like a mountain ascetic. He restored the dilapidated Matsugasaki Kozenji Temple in the same area, and performed numerous miracles, including providing medicine to the sick and using a dragon to bring down rain, earning him the deep devotion of the feudal lord

He was also a great monk who provided spiritual support to farmers who suffered from repeated poor harvests and poverty

　In 1784 (Tenmei 4), work began on the creation of a standing Eleven-Headed Kannon statue, with a smaller Buddha carved from the same tree as the principal image of Hasedera Temple in Kamakura as the Buddha inside. The Great Kannon was completed two years later. However, in 1888 (Meiji 21), all of the temple buildings and temple complexes were destroyed in a fire

However, due to the strong faith of the people, the Kannon statue was rebuilt four years later, and the current main hall was rebuilt nine years later

  The current Great Buddha (7.878m tall) was donated by Sasaki Tokichi, a kimono merchant from Honjo Omachi at the time, and was restored in 1892. A ceremony to consecrate the Great Buddha's eyes was held in 1896

The Great Buddha Hall, which was rebuilt in 1893, is said to have been faithfully restored to its original style and scale, and the year of construction can be confirmed from the ridge plaque

The Great Buddha Hall is a two-story building with a total height of about 21.2 meters, which is said to be seven jo. Both the upper and lower stories are surrounded by balustrades on all four sides, and on the front side, which is the southern face of the upper story, there is a kanso window, similar to the one in the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple in Nara

The exterior is surrounded by a kirime-edging, and the building is supported by 18 octagonal side pillars. The roof rafters are fan-shaped, and the interior is an open space to accommodate the Great Buddha. Four cylindrical columns surrounding the Great Buddha run from the lower to the upper floors, supporting the entire Great Buddha Hall

When the building was first rebuilt, the roof was made of wood chips, but in the 1940s it was replaced with copper sheets

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Construction of the Great Buddha of Akata

At the time of the construction of the Kannon statue, there were three Kannon statues measuring 26 shaku in height in Japan: in Yamato, Kamakura, and Aizu. In addition to these, the Akata Kannon statue was built, and with the desire to have it as one of the Four Heavenly Kings and to ensure the safety of the nation, the monk Koreyama decided to erect the Eleven-Headed Kannon statue

During the Kansei period, it became a place of prayer for the Kameda domain's continued military fortunes and bountiful harvests within the domain, and has long since been an object of fervent faith for the local people

The golden Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva has 11 faces on its head, facing in all directions, and represents the savior of all directions. It is about 9 meters tall, making it an extremely impressive sight

At first, the gaze looking down at us from above may seem intimidating, but gradually it will begin to look like a gentle expression watching over us

In his left hand he holds a water jug ​​filled with eight types of meritorious water with excellent health benefits, and an uncultivated lotus, which represents wisdom, purity, and compassion, while in his right hand he holds a staff approximately 10 meters long in the wish-granting mudra, which is intended to grant the wishes of all living beings

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The Great Buddha Hall is full of art

In front of the gate, numerous colorful flowers bloom, and as you walk up the approach to the temple, you will come to a tranquil area of ​​the temple grounds. There is a chozuya (purification fountain) and a reliquary hall, and in front of you stands the eye-catching double-roofed Great Buddha Hall

If you look closely at the exterior of the Great Buddha Hall, you will see that the pillars and beams are adorned with many intricate carvings. These were created by Ogawa Matsushiro, the most famous shrine carpenter in the region during the Meiji period, and feature carvings of creatures such as dragons, lions, and bakemonos, as well as flowers such as chrysanthemums and lotus flowers

When you open the front door of the Great Buddha Hall, you will see an imposing Kannon statue. The golden banners and flowers that adorn the statue add to the splendor of the place. Statues of Acala and Zao Gongen are located next to the Kannon statue, and behind it are countless thousand Buddha statues, all of which are truly captivating

　Furthermore, the Great Buddha Hall is filled with art pieces, and the "Thirty-six Birds" on the coffered ceiling above the Great Buddha was painted by Masuda Shoko, who studied under Tani Buncho and became the official painter for the Honjo domain. Furthermore, the "Thirty-six Immortal Poets" wooden door painting is the work of Hori Tobei from the Ouchi region, who was known as a master craftsman of the Meiji era

In addition, the calligraphy written when the temple received its mountain and temple titles from the lord of Kameda in 1795 was restored to the lower temple name plaque and the upper mountain name plaque when the temple was rebuilt

 As such, the Hasedera Great Buddha Hall is the only large-scale Buddhist temple in Akita Prefecture, and the construction date is clear from the ridge plaque, making it one of the valuable remains for learning about the structure, decoration, and style of Akita's modern temples

In addition, the standing statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva inside the hall was designated a tangible cultural property of Yurihonjo City in 1986, and the Akada Daibutsu Festival, a festival held at Hasedera Temple, was designated an intangible folk cultural property of Akita Prefecture in 1997

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The blessings of the Great Buddha of Akata

 Kannon is the most compassionate of all Buddhas, and with her warm heart, she relieves people of suffering and gives them joy. It is a good idea to join your hands together in prayer in front of the Buddha and chant the Kannon mantra, "Namu Kannon Bodhisattva."

The mantra of Kannon means "I take refuge in the teachings of Kannon," and by drawing out the Buddha's nature from within a person, it has the effect of removing anxiety, warding off danger, and leading to peace of mind

In other words, he accepts all our wishes. When you are feeling anxious or have no relief, visit him and ask him to grant your wish. In other words, he has the almighty blessing of resolving all your worries

Please come and visit us

INFORMATION

• Name: Shobozan Hasedera Temple
• Address: 115 Akada Uedaomote, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture
• Cultural properties: Great Buddha Hall (registered tangible cultural property of the country), Horyuji Sutra (prefectural tangible cultural property)

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